10 Yr Old Son So Tired!

Is he drinking enough water? is he drinking more water than before?
Tell you doctor if you are worried!

Kids into their late teens need 10 to 11 hrs of sleep and way too many of them are sleep deprived.
10 yr old boys are growing rapidly mentally and physically and they really do grow and develop over night.
As long as he's running around and getting exercise during the day there's no need to worry about this amount of sleep at night.
If he's listless during the day in spite of sleeping 11 hrs, have the dr check him out for hypothyroid.

My 10 year old often sleeps for 10-11 hours.

I have two questions for you.

Is this a recent development, or is this how he's always been?

And does he complain of fatigue and seem low-energy during the day, or does he just need a lot of sleep at night?

If this is a recent development AND/OR he complains of fatigue during the day, take him in to the doctor. If he just needs more sleep than other kids, but this isn't anything new, and he has plenty of energy during the day, then he's fine. Some people just need more sleep than others. Sleep time, all by itself, isn't a cause for concern.

Why do you think he needs more energy? Is this a recent thing or has he always been this way? Is he maybe going through a growth spurt or is he very active during the day? Does he ever seem crabby from being overtired?

I guess I don't see what the issue is - I mean, you are putting him to bed at 8:30 and 15 minutes later he's asleep. Many kids these days DON'T get enough sleep so unless there is something else that has you concerned, he sounds fine. How long do you expect him to be awake after he's been put to bed?

There's not necessarily a problem with that. Children need more sleep than adults (although they won't tell you that). If your son is growing fast right now, or is about to start a growth spurt - very common at that age - he'll want more rest.

You could call your doctor to talk about it (and that's always a good idea). I imagine one of the first questions your doctor will ask is, "Is your son tired during the day when he's up?" So you might observe a day or two to see if that's the case.

Kids grow in their sleep, is he going through a growth spurt...I think you should let him sleep.

I don't understand your concern. Kids need a lot of sleep. He's asleep 15 minutes after he goes to bed, and that's great - it means he's relaxing and getting the restorative sleep he needs.

Vitamins are generally useless because they are hardly ever balanced, absorbed and comprehensive. Anything sold on store shelves is generally a waste of money, and most certainly full of substances that are banned in many countries. Look on the label - does it carry warnings? Does it say to keep out of reach of children? Then don't give them. If it's a patented product (on the whole formula, not just one or two ingredients), carries no warning labels, and is metabolized as food, that's a good thing. If it's just a bunch of vitamins and minerals compiled to make you feel like you're doing something, forget it. That's based on my professional experience.

There are things you can do to boost the immune system and increase energy in a healthy way, and that's good for overall immune support - but everyone needs that. Just because he's sleeping 11 hours doesn't mean a thing. You should be thrilled that he gets that time for his body to repair itself. If he's lethargic during the day, that's another problem. Let me know if there's more here that has you concerned.

He needs his sleep. School age children need 10-11 hours of sleep. A recent study found that many American children are chronically sleep deprived. If he were lethargic during the day, I'd head to the doc to get his thyroid checked or something. But if he's just sleeping 11 hours, then let him. His body wants and needs it. And he's heading into puberty so his body is getting ready for changes. He;s sleeping the right amount.